


steady hand beating heart

by LaMaupin



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: 5+1 Things, F/F, Shovel Talk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-26 13:03:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13236309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaMaupin/pseuds/LaMaupin
Summary: More and more it feels like Ava never gets a moment alone with Sara without the idiot brigade interrupting and making a mess of things. Not that she wants to be alone with Sara, but it would be nice to get through one mission without someone breaking something (usually the timeline) or starting a fight or accidentally stranding them in the Bronze Age.Or: the five times Ava gets the shovel talk and the one time Sara does





	steady hand beating heart

**Author's Note:**

> So mostly I just have a lot of feelings about how much the Legends love Sara even if they show it in less than helpful ways, and also I need more of Ava interacting with the rest of the team in my life so 
> 
> Special thanks to tumblingforth for taking time out of her New Years Day hangover to edit this for me, because apparently I can't figure out how to properly punctuate parentheticals. 
> 
> Title is from that quote from 2x02 where Stein tells Sara that she's the beating heart and the steady hand of the team.

i.

“What are you looking at, Snart?”

Ava’s standing in Sara’s office, studying the updated anachronism map. She’s only on the Waverider to discuss a plan to locate Damien Darhk, but Sara had run off to deal with some minor crisis. The Legends can barely go five minutes without causing some sort of disaster after all.

More and more it feels like Ava never gets a moment alone with Sara without the idiot brigade interrupting and making a mess of things. Not that she wants to be alone with Sara, but it would be nice to get through one mission without someone breaking something (usually the timeline) or starting a fight or accidentally stranding them in the Bronze Age.

And now Leo Snart is studying her from where he’s leaning against the door frame. She never met the original Leonard Snart, but from what she’s seen of this version so far, he fits right in with the rest of the Legends (which isn’t a good thing, as far as Ava’s concerned).

“A piece of advice, Ava? May I call you Ava?”

“Please don’t,” she says, crossing her arms.

He ignores her, because of course he does. The day that any of the Legends actually listen to her is the day that she’s out of a job. “The thing is, Ava, I’m new around here, but anyone with eyes can see how much this team loves their captain. How they’d do pretty much anything to protect her.”

She doesn’t disagree, but she’s not sure where he’s going with this. “Your point, Snart?”

“My point, Ava,” he says, clearly enjoying her annoyance. And here she thought he was supposed to be the nice one. “Is that you should tread carefully, if you plan on pursuing whatever it is you’ve got going on with the captain.”

“We’re not - there’s nothing going on between us,” Ava says, a bit too fast, even to her own ears.

It’s true, technically speaking, but it doesn’t feel like the truth. She’s noticed the way Sara looks at her when she thinks Ava’s not paying attention. And the tension that feels like it’s going to smother them every time they’re alone.

But she’s also noticed the sadness that’s settled in Sara’s eyes since Professor Stein’s death and Jax’s departure. And the intense way she focuses on anything involving Damien Darhk as if pouring all her grief and rage into killing him will fix things.

The truth is...the truth is that Ava wants there to be something between them. Wants to give in to her more basic instincts and just kiss the damn girl already, but she’s afraid of what will happen if she does - doesn’t want to add to the pain that’s already there.

But she’s not about to say any of that to Leo Snart.

“There’s nothing going on with me and Sara,” she repeats, as if saying it again will make it true. “And even if there was, I’m not exactly worried about her merry band of fuckups.”

“It’s your funeral,” Leo says with a shrug. “But from one new guy to another, you really shouldn’t talk about your team like that.”

“I’m not a member of this team,” Ava says as he turns to leave.

“You just keep telling yourself that,” he throws back over his shoulder.

She sighs and goes back to the anachronism map. She really needs a better job. One where people stay out of her personal business. 

ii.

Ava doesn’t understand why this is taking so long. Gideon fabricated period appropriate outfits for everyone else in five minutes flat, but for some reason hers is taking forever. Not that she wants to play dress up with the Legends - she makes a mental note to ask Rip about where their ridiculous desire to wear costumes came from the next time she sees him - but Sara had insisted. So now she’s stuck here waiting for Gideon to fabricate something for her.

“I’ll be ready in a minute,” Ava says when she hears the door to the fabrication room open. “Whenever your AI feels like making me something not patently ridiculous.”

“All of my suggestions have been fully period appropriate, Agent Sharpe,” Gideon says, and if Ava didn’t know better she’d swear she sounds smug.

“See what I mean?” Ava says, turning to Sara.

But it’s not Sara. Instead she finds Amaya standing in the doorway, already dressed in full Renaissance regalia.

Ava smooths the front of her shirt and clasps her hands behind her back, trying to regain a semblance of professionalism. It’s one thing for Sara to know that she’s fighting with a computer, but another for the rest of the team. She has a reputation to maintain after all.

“How can I help you, Ms. Jiwe?”

“What are you intentions with Sara?” Amaya asks, stepping fully inside the room and letting the door close behind her.

“My intentions?”

Whatever she'd expected it hadn't been an interrogation. And who says stuff like that anyways? The only intention Ava has is to get this mission over with and get off the damn ship as quickly as possible.

Amaya crosses her arms, but doesn’t repeat herself. It’s more threatening than it really has any right to be, given she’s wearing a not insignificant amount of frills. But there is a reason Ava mentally classified Amaya as the one Legend she should actually be wary of.

“I don’t have any intentions,” Ava says, keeping her hands behind her back so she doesn’t fidget under Amaya’s glare.

Amaya narrows her eyes and Ava feels like she’s been caught in a lie. So what if she and Sara had kissed after the last mission? It’s not like they were dating - or even sleeping together. And even if they were it’s not Amaya’s business.

“I’ve been on this team for nearly two years,” Amaya says. “And in that time I’ve never seen Sara care about someone in the way that she obviously cares about you.”

Ava scoffs. “Are we talking about the same Sara Lance?”

It’s a deflection and they both know it. But it’s easier than admitting how uncomfortable it makes her. Whatever it is she and Sara are doing, talking about their feelings definitely isn’t a part of it.

Amaya tilts her head and fixes her with a look that says she sees right through her. God, the Legends really are annoying.

“Sara cares for you,” Amaya continues. “And if you take that as lightly as you’d have us believe well…”

Her tone is mild, but Ava sees steel in the set of her shoulders and the way she shifts slightly, drawing Ava’s attention to the totem at her neck. She learned a long time ago to assess threats, and all of her instincts are telling her that Amaya’s isn’t to be dismissed.

“I don’t,” Ava says, and she means it. “I care about her too.”

It doesn’t feel sufficient, but she’s not sure what else to say.

Amaya studies her for a long moment before nodding. “Good.”

“Your outfit is ready, Agent Sharpe,” Gideon says, making Ava jump slightly. Damn computer. 

But she’s thankful for the excuse to turn away from where Amaya still looks as if she might reconsider at any moment and tear her limb from limb.

Ava looks at the garment Gideon made for her and sighs. “Why is it yellow?”

“Yellow was quite fashionable in 15th century Italy,” Gideon says.

Ava rolls her eyes and accepts the dress. She turns to Amaya again, who isn’t even trying to suppress a laugh. If this is what being a Legend is like, she wants nothing to do with it.

iii.

Ava groans when Ray and Nate sit down across from her in the galley. This is what she gets for thinking she could enjoy her breakfast in peace apparently.

Not that she’d really meant to eat breakfast on the Waverider - or even to stay the night - but Sara had insisted and Ava couldn’t say no. Which is...inconvenient, but definitely something she’s not thinking about right now.

It wouldn’t even have been an issue if this rusty tin can of a ship had more than one bathroom (who designs a ship with quarters for 8 but only one bathroom anyways?).  Sara abandoned her to go shower, leaving Ava to fend for herself because she ‘needs to learn to play nice with the team’ or whatever.

Which is ridiculous. Just because she and Sara are...doing whatever it is they’re doing doesn’t mean she needs to tolerate the Legends’ more idiotic members.

Like, for instance, Drs. Palmer and Heywood, who are currently grinning at her from across the table as if they’re in on some particularly amusing secret. Great.

“Why Agent Sharpe, we didn’t expect to see you up so early,” Nate says, waggling his eyebrows in a way that’s probably meant to be suggestive but only makes him look ridiculous. “We figured you and the captain would be doing the nasty all morning.”

“Doing the nasty? Really?” Ava says, glaring at him. It’s too early for their antics. Especially when their antics involved her personal life. “Are you twelve?”

“If we were twelve would we have five PhDs between us?” Nate asks.

“Four of which are mine,” Ray adds.

Nate turns to Ray. “Okay but my way sounds better. We talked about this.”

“Sure, but it also implies that you have more than one PhD, which is untrue. You have one. I have four,” Ray says. “It’s not exactly the same.”

“Only because I’m not completely indecisive,” Nate replies, clearly annoyed. “And isn’t one of yours honorary anyways?”

Ava eats her granola, watching them bicker. She gets the sense they’ve had this argument before, and as dumb as it is to listen to, she’s glad they’ve managed to distract themselves.

Then she makes the mistake of getting up to get more coffee, and they stop arguing, remembering that she's there. Damn. Rookie mistake.

“The point is, Agent Sharpe,” Nate says, collecting himself. She groans inwardly and considers opening a portal back to the Time Bureau, but she’s never been one to run away. Besides, she did promise Sara that she’d make more of an effort with the rest of the team. Something she is very much regretting right now. “The point is, we’re not stupid.”

“Some of us more than others,” Ray adds under his breath.

Nate shoots him a look but doesn’t take the bait. “We know you are Sara are dating.”

“We’re not dating,” Ava says, because they aren’t. She’s not completely sure what they’re doing at this point because it doesn’t feel like just an occasional hook up or make out, but they’re definitely not dating. Besides, she’d never date a Legend. She does have some standards.

“Oh you sweet summer child,” Nate says, shaking his head.

Ava considers strangling him, because Sara can’t expect her to put up with this, but that would mean even more paperwork to do when she gets back to the office.

Ray folds his hands on the table in front of him and gives her a look that is probably supposed to be comforting, but only succeeds in setting her teeth on edge. “We have no problem with you dating Sara - “

Ava makes a noise in the back of her throat, and Ray blanches slightly but soldiers on. “Or definitely not dating Sara, but we just, you know, want you to be careful. Sara’s been through a lot lately, what with Martin and Jax, and Rip betraying us -”

“And don’t forget Damien Darhk coming back,” Nate interrupts.

“Yeah, and before that her sister dying, and that doesn’t even get into the bloodlust from dying and coming back, and the whole League of Assassins thing,” Ray continues.

“Twice,” Nate adds, holding up two fingers to illustrate his point. “Actually, come to think of it, Sara’s been through some shit. And she still puts up with us. Amazing.”

It’s actually kind of sweet, what they’re doing. That they care so much. But she’ll never admit that. Instead she raises an eyebrow. “You guys know I already know all of this, right?”

“Sure, but do you know that we,” Nate indicates himself and Ray, “are superheroes? And we won’t hesitate to use our superpowers for evil if you even think about hurting Sara.”

Ava looks between them. “Am I supposed to be intimidated?”

“Did you not hear the part about using our superpowers for evil?” Ray asks, leaning forward. “Evil.”

“No, I did,” Ava says, suppressing a laugh at how offended Ray sounds at the concept of evil. “But I could definitely take both of you in a fight.”

Nate scoffs. “Uh, I don’t think so. Super. Powers.”

Before she can decide whether it’s worth arguing with them the door to the galley opens and Sara walks in. She takes in the scene and raises an eyebrow. “Are these two bozos bothering you?”

“Hey,” both Ray and Nate protest.

“I’ll have you know, we’re not bozos -”

“We’re highly educated -”

“Superheroes -”

“Integral members of this team -”

Sara gives them a skeptical, but not unkind, look as they go on, before making eye contact with Ava and rolling her eyes.

Ava sips her coffee and shakes her head. Maybe staying for breakfast wasn’t the worst idea she’s ever had. Maybe.

iv.

Ava shivers, pulling her coat tighter around herself in a vain attempt to stave off the chill from the water. When she’d heard that the Darhks were causing trouble in the Bahamas in 1710 she hadn’t expected to be stuck on a cold beach at night with no one but Mick Rory for company, but here she is.

Nominally they’re keeping watch on Darhk’s ship while the others are off gathering information (playing pirate), but from the way Amaya had smirked at her when Sara put her on Rory duty, she’s pretty sure this is some sort of hazing.

At least she got to wear pants this time and not one of the increasingly ridiculous dresses Gideon seems to delight in making her wear. (Sara told her she’s being paranoid when she complained about that, but there’s no way Gideon isn’t doing it on purpose at this point.)

“Shoulda been a pirate,” Rory says after a while, almost to himself, his voice rumbling out of the darkness beside her. “I woulda made a good pirate.”

Ava snorts. “It’s got all your favorite things. Looting, pillaging, prostitutes.”

“Exactly.”

Silence falls between them again. Rory isn’t exactly a conversationalist on a good day, but it’s not like Ava is complaining. She’s always found stakeouts more enjoyable when people don’t talk.

“So, you and the captain,” he says eventually.

She can’t quite make out his expression in the dark but she can tell he’s moved his heat gun to his lap in a way that’s impossible to not take as a threat. Perfect. This again.

She sighs. There’s no point in denying it to him. She’s pretty sure he would know if she’s lying anyways. “Yep. Me and the captain.”

He picks up his heat gun and considers it. “You know why I like fire?”

“If this is the part where you tell me if I hurt her they’ll never find my body, the rest of your team’s beat you to it,” she says.

Rory laughs. He actually laughs. Ava doesn’t know whether to be offended or disturbed.

“The rest of them talk a big game, but we both know that Pretty Boy and Haircut wouldn’t stand a chance against you,” he says. “And Amaya has principles. But me, I don’t have those.”

Ava shivers, though whether from the cold or the threat she’s not sure.

“And they will find your body,” he says, looking at her this time. “They just won’t be able to identify it.”

Ava’s glad for the darkness covering the way she buries her hands in her pockets and shifts in her seat. “Point taken.”

He growls his acknowledgment and they go back to sitting in silence. She wants to tell him that she won’t hurt Sara. That the even the thought of it is enough to make her sick. But there’s too much going on right now, with the Darhks and Mallus and the Bureau, to be making promises like that.

But before she can say any of that an explosion rocks the beach and a fireball lights up the sky in the direction of town.

“Finally, some action.”

Rory takes off towards town and Ava follows, thankful for the distraction. She never thought she’d see the day where she was grateful for the Legends making a mess of things, but here she is.

They don’t need to know that though. She doesn’t want them thinking she approves of their methods after all.

v.

“I’m fine,” Ava says, trying to get up from the chair in the medbay.

Sara puts a hand on her shoulder and pushes her back down. “Not until Gideon finishes checking you out you’re not.”  

“It’s barely a scratch.”

“You nearly bled out in the time it took us to get you back here,” Sara says, crossing her arms and fixing Ava with a look that brooks no argument.

Not that Ava doesn’t consider arguing. But the gash on her side throbs when she tries to get up and her head spins from the blood loss so she relents and relaxes back into the chair.

She’s not sure what annoys her more: the fact that the monk had gotten in under her guard or that Sara had saved her life (again). Not that she’s complaining about not bleeding to death on the floor of a 12th century monastery, but Sara gets a touch too smug for Ava’s liking whenever she saves her life.

A crash resounds from somewhere in the ship and Sara winces.

“You’re needed in the engine room, Captain Lance,” Gideon says.

Sara sighs. “I should probably go deal with that.”

Ava suddenly doesn’t want Sara to leave. She wants to beg her to stay, to ignore whatever it is her idiot team has broken this time. But she’s a professional dammit. She can handle being left alone for five minutes.

Sara must see it on her face, because she squeezes Ava’s arm and gives her a reassuring smile.

Ava lets out a breath and returns the smile, willing the feeling to pass. It’s probably just the blood loss anyways.

“Gideon, make sure she doesn’t get up until you’re done,” Sara says.

“Of course, Captain Lance.”

“I suppose you’re not going to let me leave?” Ava asks once Sara’s gone.

“I will not, Agent Sharpe,” Gideon replies, and if Ava didn’t know any better, she’d swear Gideon sounded please with herself. Damn computer is as bad as the rest of them.

“May I ask you a question of a personal nature?” Gideon says after a moment.

“I get the feeling that you’re going to ask no matter what I say.” Ava is never sure where to look when she talks to Gideon, so she settles for staring vaguely at the ceiling.

“Correct, Agent Sharpe,” Gideon says.

Ava sighs. She suspects that whatever Gideon is about to ask, she’s not going to like it. “Fine.”

“What is the nature of your relationship with Captain Lance?”

That’s not what Ava was expecting. But she was right at least - she doesn’t like it. “You weren’t kidding about it being personal, were you?”

“I do not kid, Agent Sharpe.”

Ava sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. This is not how she imagined today going. It really isn’t. Not that any day spent with the Legends goes how she want it to but still.

“Why do you want to know?”

“My primary directive is to protect my captain,” Gideon says after a moment. “But I do not know how to proceed with respect to your relationship with Captain Lance. According to my calculations, in the long term you present a significant risk to her, however, in the short term, eliminating you would harm her significantly.”

Oh.

“Eliminating me?” Ava asks. “Do I want to know what that means?”

“I haven’t decided yet,” Gideon says, far too chipper for Ava’s comfort. “Please answer the question, Agent Sharpe. And remember, I can tell if you are lying.”

Ava scrubs her hand over her face, trying to come up with an answer. “The truth is that I don’t really know. We haven’t defined it. But I’m not going to hurt her. Or at least, I don’t want to hurt her. I, uh, I think I love her.”

Ava hasn’t said it out loud before. Hasn’t even let herself think it. But it’s true. Somewhere along the line she caught feelings and she hates it, but she wouldn’t trade it for anything.

It’s a long moment before Gideon responds. “That is sufficient. For now.”

Ava could laugh at how ridiculous it all is. Not that talking to a computer about her love life is any less ridiculous than anything she’s done since she started working with the Legends. They’ve cornered the market on ridiculous.

When Sara comes back she gives Ava a curious look. “You’re still not done?”

“I finished five minutes ago,” Gideon says.

“Why didn’t you say something?” Ava asks, removing the monitor from her wrist and getting up.

“You never asked.”

“See what I have to put up with?” Ava says, but Sara just laughs and takes her hand, pulling her out of the medbay.

“Are you gonna stay the night?” Sara asks once they’re safely in the hall.

She really shouldn’t. She’s got things to do at the Bureau - she’s fallen behind on her paperwork and her bosses have started to notice how much she’s out of the office - but Sara gives her that slightly hopeful smile that she can’t bring herself to say no to.

“Of course,” she says and she doesn’t worry about what the morning will bring, because right now she has everything she could possibly want.

\+ i

Ava pours herself another cup of shitty Time Bureau coffee and hopes that it will do something for the tension headache building behind her eyes. It won’t, but the trip to the kitchen is at least a nice change of scenery.

It’s been a long day - a long week if she’s being honest - and she really doesn’t want to be at work right now, but Director Bennett gave her a talking to about the importance of doing her actual job and not wasting time with the Legends, so here she is. In the office on a Saturday, when she’d rather be literally anywhere else.

It doesn’t help that the last mission to stop the Darhks had gone about as wrong as it was possible to go, even for the Legends. Sara and Amaya had gotten captured, Zari got hurt during the rescue, and they had once again come up empty handed, no closer to stopping Mallus than they had been before.

And to top it all off she and Sara ended up in a shouting match on the bridge of the Waverider afterwards. And Ava may have stormed off like a petulant child. And now she’s here - spending her Saturday drinking stale coffee and regretting pretty much every choice she’s ever made.

What a waste of a perfectly good weekend. She could be moping on her couch instead of at the office. 

On the way back across the office she spots Gary ducking out her office, looking almost furtive. He sees her watching him and avoids eye contact, disappearing around a corner. It’s odd to say the least. He’s usually too afraid of her to try anything.

Any thought about what Gary might have been up to evaporates as soon as she opens her office door and finds Sara leaning against her desk. She looks almost thoughtful until she notices Ava and throws her a lopsided smile.

“Sara,” Ava says, stepping into her office and closing the door behind her.

She’s honestly not sure how this is going to go. Sure they’ve fought before, but there had always been an undercurrent of something else to those fights. Something halfway between a power struggle and flirting. But this time had been all pent up grievances and repressed frustrations. The kind of fight she’s only had with exes and her brothers.

“I’m here to apologize,” Sara says, gaze roaming around the room before finally settling on Ava. “I shouldn’t have accused you of caring more about protocol than people. That wasn't fair."

Ava grips her coffee mug in both hands, letting the warmth of it ground her. She hates this part. The negotiating feelings with another person part. “I’m the one who should apologize. I shouldn’t tell you how to run your team. And I shouldn’t have stormed out in a huff. It was immature.”

“Well, it’s not like anyone has ever accused me of emotional maturity,” Sara says with a shrug.

Ava laughs dryly and shakes her head. “We make quite the pair, don’t we?”

“Yep.”

The silence that falls between them is more awkward than she’s used to. She casts around for something to say, anything to break the tension and restore their equilibrium. “How’s Zari?”

“Shaken up mostly. Gideon fixed her up,” Sara says. “I don’t think Amaya’s going to let her out of her sight anytime soon though.”

“I’m glad she’s okay.”

Sara tilts her head and fixes Ava with a searching look. “See, you do give a shit about the team. You pretend you don’t, but you do.”

“Of course I do.” Ava sets her coffee down and leans back against her desk next to Sara. She’s still a little hurt at the suggestion that she doesn't care about the team. The Legends have grown on her. Like a fungus, but still. “I care about you, and so do they. Even if they show it in less than optimal ways.”

Sara bumps her shoulder. “I really am sorry. Yesterday was a mess and I took out my frustrations on you.”

“They put you up to this, didn’t they?” Ava asks with a wry smile.

“I mean, I was going to anyways, eventually,” Sara says with a shrug. “But they ganged up on me and said they didn’t like it when their moms fight. And it's hard to focus when Ray's following me around like a hurt puppy.”

Ava can’t help but laugh at that, and the tension between them eases. “I guess they’re not completely useless.”

Sara scoots closer to her and leans her head against her shoulder. Ava still isn’t used to seeing Sara like this - soft and unguarded. She’s usually all tension and snark - as if she doesn’t want anyone to forget that she could kill them without a second thought. But sometimes, when they’re alone, Ava gets a glimpse of what Sara must have been like at twenty, before anything bad happened to her. She wants nothing more than to get to see that Sara more often.

“What did Gary want?” Ava asks eventually, remembering his odd behavior earlier.

“Oh, that,” Sara says, straightening up. “He told me on no uncertain terms that if I did anything to hurt you he would make sure I never existed.”

Ava blinks, genuinely surprised. She didn’t know Gary had it in him. “Are we talking about the same Gary? Dweeby guy with glasses?”

“It surprised me too,” Sara says, but then her voice softens. “I think it’s sweet. He cares about you.”

Ava hums her agreement and they lapse back into comfortable silence. But it doesn’t last long before Sara steps into her space, slipping her hands up under Ava’s blazer.

“You know, that was our first real fight,” Sara says, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Which means this is our first opportunity for make up sex.”

“Really?” Ava rolls her eyes, but she shifts, letting Sara untuck her blouse. “You know I do have work to do.”

“Yep.”

Ava shakes her head. Sara really is incorrigible. But she’s not exactly complaining. “I guess we haven’t had sex in my office yet.”

Sara looks up at her, grinning wickedly. “That’s the spirit.”

Ava takes Sara’s face in her hands and leans down to kiss her. Maybe today isn’t a completely waste after all.

**Author's Note:**

> you can find me on tumblr at blackholesymposium for gay shit or adventuresinchemistry for gay science shit if that's your jam


End file.
